SA cautiously mulls ICC participation

Pretoria - South Africa says it is considering its participation in the International Criminal Court (ICC) with caution.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, on Thursday reiterated the view that the ICC, also known as the Rome Statute, unfairly targets the continent.

“We are still consulting the ICC … [If] we pull out, we will do so in a responsible manner. We will make sure that we consult with the important agencies and make a conclusion at the end,” Minister Nkoana-Mashabane told a media briefing.

South Africa was the first African country to sign up to the ICC and adopted the court’s founding Rome Statute into domestic law. However, Pretoria is now of the view that the ICC is not serving its mandate as it says Africa is treated unequally to other member states.

South Africa's conduct of international relations, especially its role in international organisations like the UN Security Council, its choice of strategic partnerships, its leadership role in Africa, its public engagement and foreign policy decision making, has been intensely debated in the recent past. The FPA programme aims to provide a nuanced analysis and facilitate a structured discussion of South Africa's foreign policy in a changing world environment for purposes of informing its future direction.

Aims and Objectives of The Project

The purpose of this focus area is to unpack the extent to which the policy in its making, its nature and its application constitutes a principled and pragmatic response to a complex international environment. In doing so, we hope to be guided by an objective to promote a foreign policy that positions SA as a responsible global citizen committed to building bridges between various power blocs for the benefit of Africa and South Africans.

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